The third instalment of the Super League Triathlon begins this weekend in St Helier, Jersey.
Known to many athletes as “the Hunger Games of Triathlon”, the Super League Triathlon (SLT) will challenge the endurance, versatility and persistence of some of the best triathletes on the planet.
With a mix of long and short course athletes in attendance, SLT comprises of a variety of course and race types that test the versatility of athletes in order to crown an all-round champion.
The league has four different race formats:
- Triple Mix – shuffling the traditional swim-bike-run order across three short triathlons
- Eliminator – Three short triathlons that see the slowest athletes evicted from the race after each triathlon
- Equalizer – An Individual Time Trial (ITT) in one discipline, followed by a pure swim-bike-run X2
The final format, Enduro, will be showcased this weekend in Jersey, beginning with Saturday’s Shortened Enduro’s that consists of a once-repeated swim-bike-run circuit. The top 15 finishers of this race will compete in an Enduro final on Sunday that asks the athletes to complete a twice-repeated swim-bike-run circuit, forcing athletes to not only be physically fit, but also race smart. This innovative structure creates a more unpredictable race that rewards athletes who perfect all swim-bike-run disciplines.
Super League works on a points-based system in which the top 15 athletes to finish are rewarded. Additionally, athletes will gain bonus points as they adopt a variety of coloured tri-suits that highlight the standout performers throughout the competition. These range from green for the fastest bike split, blue for the fastest swim, red for the fastest run and pink for the overall points leader. There is also a white tri-suit that is donned throughout the league’s duration by the youngest athlete in the field, 20-year-old Olivia Mathias.
The nature of the league allows for a variety of athletes to participate and represent Great Britain. Jonathon Brownlee, who ended his previous Super League with a well-earned bronze medal, will be racing alongside British Duathlon Champion Christopher Perham, who qualified through a golden ticket at the Poznan qualifiers.
Equally, young athlete Olivia Mathias who was a stand-out in the recent U23 Grand Final in Lausanne, gets an opportunity to prove herself alongside Olympic bronze medallist, Vicky Holland. World bronze medallist, Georgia Taylor-Brown will also be participating after a successful year as well as Sophie Coldwell, who will look to champion the blue tri-suit for a second year running.
Alongside the Pro action will be a fun run for children, age group events and Team Enduros. Saturday will also see Youth and Junior athletes take to the course for an Enduro race. The top two male and female Juniors across the line will qualify for the semi-final of the Professional race. For more information on the full festival weekend, please click here.
Visit superleaguetriathlon.com or the SLT Facebook page to watch the live-action and highlights in Jersey from September 28th and 29th.
Photo Credit: Super League Triathlon
